Meanwhile, the legal system is experiencing tremors of its own. The concept of "non-human personhood" has moved from academic theory to legal argument. In 2024, an Argentinean court ruled that a chimpanzee named Cecilia was a "non-human person" unlawfully deprived of her freedom, ordering her release from a zoo to a sanctuary. Similar, though less successful, battles have been fought in U.S. courts for elephants and orcas.
Ethical concern for animals has evolved from ancient spiritual practices to modern legal statutes. The Five Freedoms for animals | Animal Humane Society Meanwhile, the legal system is experiencing tremors of